


snowfall on the citadel

by braithwaites



Category: Mass Effect - All Media Types, Mass Effect Trilogy
Genre: Custom Shepard (Mass Effect), Established Relationship, F/F, Long-Distance Relationship, Snow
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-05
Updated: 2018-01-05
Packaged: 2019-02-28 18:40:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,109
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13277559
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/braithwaites/pseuds/braithwaites
Summary: The Citadel sees snowfall on two days during the year.Once, for the humans. Once, for the asari.





	snowfall on the citadel

**Author's Note:**

  * For [ghoulaesthetics (astraielle)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/astraielle/gifts).



> this was written for astrasari @ tumblr / ghoulaesthetics. ♡

The Citadel sees snowfall on two days during the year.

Once, for the humans. Once, for the asari.

There might have been more, but neither the salarians nor the turians were willing to fight that battle when there were more important things to concern themselves with. So, the number of snow days on the Citadel were numbered two.

The Presidium saw the bulk of the snow, leaving the formerly pristine surfaces covered in a fine blanket of white snow. Fake, sure, but as close to the real thing as they could get. Not far off, she saw a tiny human boy open his mouth and catch a few flakes on his tongue. His mother smiled rather than fretting; it was just frozen water, after all.

Miranda pulled her scarf away from her nose and mouth and took a deep breath of the air. It even smelled different – wetter, sharper, somehow cleaner and more natural.

She never minded the scent of recycled air. In fact, she preferred it to fresh after so many years boarding ships. It was subtler, less intrusive, not overly stimulating. There was nothing offensive about recycled air. But this... this was even better than that.

A turian father hauled his twins close and began scooping snowflakes from their growing cowls. She knew enough about turian facial expressions to see that he was frowning.

Another reason for the turian embassy to opt out of a snow day for their people.

Miranda smiled to herself and continued on, directionless for the moment. The false wind meant to stir the generated flakes ran through her hair, just strong enough to loosen a few locks from beneath the black wool of her scarf.

After an hour of walking the perimeter of this wing of the Presidium, Miranda slowed down and found a spot beneath a snow-capped tree. The bench was covered in snow, too, so she dusted it clear before sitting down and turning her attention to the call she meant to make upon docking.

Hopefully, Shepard wouldn't be asleep. Even more hopefully, Shepard wouldn't be in a combat situation.

The whole situation seemed entirely too whimsical to be bothering the Commander with, but the thought of sharing this with Lee filled Miranda with a certain willingness to be whimsical.

Lifting her omni-tool up as it connected, she pressed her knees together, tucking her boots beneath the bench. Her toes curled, eager for warmth, and she smiled despite herself. Everything felt more grounded, covered in snow, as if they weren't approaching the potential extinction of their people, of _all_ people.

Then, a face.

Miranda's smile grew until it bared her square front teeth.

“I hope I haven't interrupted anything,” she said, though she didn't sound very penitent. “I apologize if I have.”

Lee squinted into the screen of her omni-tool, all messy black hair and glowing red grimace. She hadn't been sleeping, but there was a look of 'almost' on her face. Almost sleeping. Almost resting. And the savior of the galaxy needed her rest. But...

“Where are you?” Lee asked, her voice hoarse.

Miranda glanced around – from the frozen fountain to the snowy statue of the krogan, from a group of laughing teenagers to a salarian couple with their heads bowed close together. “The Citadel,” she said. There was no stealing the cheer from her voice, which felt bizarre given all that was happening.

Lee sat up straighter and blinked at the screen. Every time she squinted, the scars around her eyes flared brighter to match the glint of fire _in_ her eyes.

“You've got snow in your hair.”

Miranda lifted a hand to dust the flakes away, laughing under her breath. Before she could explain herself, Shepard continued.

“Your cheeks are all red, too. And your nose.” Lee chuckled. “S'cute.”

The sudden throb of her heart took Miranda by surprise, nearly as much as the compliment. Her smile fell into something curved and gracious, and she glanced away only to circle her gaze back around to Lee. “Thank you. I've been... walking around the Presidium for a while now.”

She cleared her throat. “Are you anywhere close? We have ten hours until the snow day is through.”

Lee's shoulders sagged, and she pulled her fingers through her dark hair before shaking it out. “I'm almost on the other side of the Milky Way, Miranda. I don't think I can make it. Sorry.”

Miranda gave her head a shake. “Understandable,” she said. “You're a busy woman.”

“Show me?” Lee asked, leaning her head on her hand, watching Miranda with those tired eyes. “Show me the Presidium so I can pretend I'm there with you, at least.”

So she did.

Miranda turned her omni-tool's camera around and gave Shepard a look at the Presidium as a perfect, snow-drenched paradise, all white and silver, pristine and glittering under the false sun. To someone stationed on a ship, floating through the void of space, the sight was bound to be breathtaking.

“Wow,” she heard Lee murmur, halfway between awed and exhausted. “I've never been on the Citadel during a snow day.”

“Neither have I,” Miranda provided with a smile as she turned the camera back around. “But... I shouldn't keep you any longer than I have. You need your rest.”

Lee nodded and continued to nod until, finally, she gathered up her thoughts properly.

“I'll be there next time,” Shepard said. Her voice was quiet and still a little bit hoarse. The sound of it made Miranda smile again. “The asari snow day's in a few months, huh? Isn't that right?”

“It is.” Miranda tilted her head to the side. “I'll forward you the date.”

She caught a flash of a smirk that was nearly a smile, and then, the call ended. They didn't share goodbyes. There was something unwieldy about goodbyes when you were romantically attached to someone like Shepard, so they were fended off, replaced with knowing looks and tiny smiles, and that was good enough for Miranda.

Letting her hand fall into her lap with the other, she tipped her head back and stared up at the winding branches of the tree overhead. Snowflakes clung to wood and leaves in equal measure, fallen over everything like pretty, white dust.

Her knees were damp where flakes had fallen and melted, fallen and melted, and she could feel a certain chill against her scalp.

Having Lee with her during the next snow day was promising.

Among the highs and lows of life during the Reaper invasion, there was this, standing above it all. The promise of a day, covered in snow, holding onto the woman at her side for dear life.


End file.
